Last night's new episode of South Park, "Margaritaville", actually had a rather clever little plot, turning a commentary on the economic recession into a retelling of the story of Jesus. With South Park's economy in a shambles, Stan's dad Randy preaches the evils of frivolous spending, causing the citizens of South Park to wear bed sheet robes and stop buying ridiculous things. Cartman is pissed, because the new trend coincides with the release of "Grand Theft Auto IV" for the Nintendo DS.

The writers might have screwed up the game name the first time around, but they get it painstakingly right the next three times, as you can see in the clip below.
You can watch the full episode online right now at Comedy Central. Ironically enough, when I watched the episode early this morning, it was sponsored by Resident Evil 5.

Rockstar dropped us a line to let us know they had nothing to do with the game showing up in the episode, but thought it was great.

“Gamers have come to expect a certain level of realism in video games and by collaborating with key brands in the industry we’re able to deliver with Guitar Hero World Tour,” said Dave Anderson, Head of Business Development for Activision. “With the most advanced wireless instrument controllers, the in-game likeness of multiple multi-platinum recording artists and authentic on-stage gear, the game offers the ultimate rock and roll experience.”

I love that the game is getting real world venues to play in, but personally I don't think I care that much about whether I have EMG pickups or Guitar Hero Fake-O pickups. The list of gear manufacturers include: AMPEG, Audio-Technica, EMG Pickups, Ernie Ball, Evans Drumheads, Guitar Center, Krank Amplification, Mackie, Marshall, Orange County Drum & Percussion, Pork Pie Percussion, Regal Tip, Sabian cymbals, Vox and Zildjian drumsticks. But honestly, that seems more like a way for Activision to make some money off product placement than something that's going to add to the game.

GUITAR HERO® WORLD TOUR TO FEATURE EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH PROMINENT MUSIC INSTRUMENT AND EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS

Game Set to Deliver Most Authentic Rock and Roll Experience Yet

SANTA MONICA, CA – August 27, 2008 – After raising the bar of authenticity with every release in the Guitar Hero® franchise, Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero® World Tour is cranking it to 11 by featuring several of the most influential instrument and equipment brands in the music industry. Gamers can score in-game sponsorships and gear from AMPEG, Audio-Technica, EMG Pickups, Ernie Ball, Evans Drumheads, Guitar Center, Krank Amplification, Mackie, Marshall, Orange County Drum & Percussion, Pork Pie Percussion, Regal Tip, Sabian cymbals, Vox and Zildjian drumsticks.

In addition to featuring products, the game lets virtual bands play on the same stage as many of their favorite musicians with digital re-creations of Amoeba Music and Live Nation’s House of Blues® Sunset Strip.

“Gamers have come to expect a certain level of realism in video games and by collaborating with key brands in the industry we’re able to deliver with Guitar Hero World Tour,” said Dave Anderson, Head of Business Development for Activision. “With the most advanced wireless instrument controllers, the in-game likeness of multiple multi-platinum recording artists and authentic on-stage gear, the game offers the ultimate rock and roll experience.”

When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of guitarists, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Guitar Hero World Tour. The latest installment in the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless controllers with new revolutionary online* and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online for the first time ever. The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, drum kit controller and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n’ roll anthems. Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunesSM where other gamers can download and play an endless supply of unique creations.

Guitar Hero World Tour is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The Wii™ version is being developed by Vicarious Visions. The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version is being developed by Budcat. The game is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. For more information on Guitar Hero World Tour, please visit www.guitarhero.com.

First and foremost are the two scenes with Ben Stiller talking to his agent. In both scenes, the agent, played by Matthew McConaughey, is wailing away at different mini-games in Wii Sports while talking on the phone with Stiller. He's playing on a pretty large screen in his office so there's no way you can miss it, so let's chalk that up as product placement.

Next comes this odd dialog that occurs about a third of the way through the movie with one of the characters trying to explain why Blu-ray won in the format war. His answer? Porn and video games. Porn backed it and Sony backed it with their... but he never quite says PlayStation 3.

Finally, and this one is just odd, during the credits they show a bit player, a non-speaking part mind you, and when his name pops up it does so on a background riddled with old-school Space Invaders. Invader invades Tropic Thunder? Hells yeah!

Update: Nintendo tells me that the Wii Sports in the movie was indeed the product of some sort of deal between Nintendo and the movie studio.

Clearly, there is very little probative value to this post, I just wanted to write the word DIKTAD (the name of a toy chest they sell). Three years ago my friend Ryan (Flying Squirrel, to those in the know), who now writes for the Sacramento Bee, went to IKEA with me to help me trick out my former shithole (rented for $1095 a month. Housing bubble? What is this you speak of? Rent is a rock solid investment that only appreciates.) We came around the corner and saw DIKTAD and that instantly became our new term of abuse for each other, like "Heat Stick" and "Grandma's Tongue." And now I bequeath it to you. Please call each other that in the comments.

The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff Trailer [Simprograms]

Viewers of tonight's episode of the NBC hit Heroes ("Like Any Parasite") will have one more reason to geek out, as brand new footage of the upcoming PLAYSTATION 3 game Heavenly Sword will be shown.

About 8 seconds of real-time footage will be shown of Ninja Theory's hack and slash action game, most of it focusing on the timed button pressing cinematic moments similar to Shenmue's quick time events or the boss battles in God of War. How's it look? From what I've seen of last night's early Canadian broadcast, pretty freakin' amazing. YouTube doesn't do it justice.

Thanks for the heads up, Kyle. Michael McWhertor

If I asked you how you felt about seeing product placement of real world products in your games or movies, you'd probably get all pissy about it. But what about the reverse? Would seeing items that first appeared in-game be available for purchase at your corner store something you're interested in? My guess is that you'd be cool with that—depending on the property.

That's the opportunity that the Harvard Business Review and David Edery (who also just happens to be an Xbox Live Arcade product planner) say we could see more of in the future. Edery points to two examples, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from Harry Potter and the Suntory/Square-Enix Final Fantasy Potion collaboration, as good indicators of how "reverse product placement" can work.

This seems to happen not that infrequently in Japan, where companies like Capcom will release an entire wardrobe line "inspired" by the outfits of Resident Evil 4's Leon Kennedy for example, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it gain traction on a global scale.

What do you think? Any in-game properties you'd like to see break into the real world? Michael McWhertor

'Reverse Product Placement' Game's Next Big Thing? [Gamasutra]

Automaker Nissan has teamed up with animation studio Production I.G. to remake Ghost in the Shell: Stand Lone Complex-Solid State Society. The post-cyberpunk flik will be packed to the gills with Nissan concept cars. Well, if you consider two concept cars packed. Both the Sports Concept ad Infiniti Kuraza will be in the movie, according to our very own Jalopnik. Brian Crecente

Nissans a Manga Maniac [Jalopnik]